George armes tower



(No Model.)

G. A. TOWER.

ELECTRICAL GOVERNOR FOR MARINE ENGINES.

No. 579,780. Patented Mar. 30, 1897.

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NITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

GEORGE ARMES TOWER, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE R. JARMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICAL GOVERNOR FOR MARINE ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,780, dated March 30, 1897.

Serial No. 583,700. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ARMES TOWER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Governors for Marine Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference'being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple governor device that may be readily applied to the ordinary form of marine engine now in use without in the least changing the construction of any of the parts of the engine; and it consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a simple side view of a marine engine of the usual form provided with my improved governor. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device, the battery and circuit-closer being omitted; and Figs. 3 and 4, detail views of two forms of circuit-closer, either of which may be employed.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the usual link adapted to operate the main slide-valve in the usual manner; 2, the usual auxiliary cylinder adapted to shift the link through the medium of the pistonrod 3, T-crank 4, and rod 5; 6, the valverod connected to the valve 6 controlling the admission of steam to the auxiliary cylinder 2, this valve-rod being pivotally connected to the lever 6 which latter is supported by the valve-rod; 6 a rod connecting the shorter arm of lever 6 to the left-hand arm of the T-crank, and 6 a vertical rod connecting the longer arm of the lever 6 to the hand-lever '7. As shown in the drawings, the hand-lever and the link 1 are on center, and the auxiliary valve 6 ,-as well as the main slide-valve, is closed. It will be observed that when the hand-lever 7 is thrown upward steam will be admitted under the piston in cylinder 2, thereby raising said piston, and as this piston moves upward it will not only shift the link, but will also draw down the valve 6 to close the ports and thereby stop the piston and hold the link at its adjusted position; and when the lever 7 is depressed below center the movements of the parts will be reversed and the link will be shifted in the opposite direction. The link and the piston in cylinder 2 may thus be adjusted and held in any desired position.

My device is preferably applied directly to the operating hand-lever 7 to operate the same instantaneously and automatically, the connection to the lever being detachable, so that it may be disconnected during calm weather.

The device consists of the small auxiliary cylinder 8, having a piston 9 working in it, the rod 10 of this piston passing out of the upper end of the cylinder and being suitably detachably connected to lever 7. On one side of the cylinder is a cylindrical valve-chest 11, in which works a hollow cylindrical valve 12, Whose stems 13 work through suitable stuffin g-boxes at the ends of the valve-chest. The valve-chest is connected with the opposite ends of the cylinder by the usual ports 14, and the live steam enters it about midway its length at 15. The upper stem of the valve is attached to the core of a solenoid 16, (which is in circuit with the battery 17 and circuitcloser 18,) and the lower stem communicates with the interior of the valve and is made hollow to conduct away the exhaust-steam. The weight of the valve (together with a spring 19, if necessary) normally holds the valve down, closing the upper cylinder-port against ingress of live steam and leaving the lower port open to the live steam, thereby keeping the piston 9 normally pressed upward. The interior of the valve communicates at its ends with the respective ends of the valve-chest by openings 20, so that the exhaust-steam may pass into the valve at either end and out through the hollow exhaust-stem. The body of the valve is of less diameter than the valve-chest and has a piston-like flange 21 formed on each end, the areas of the inner faces of these flanges being the same, whereby the valve will be perfectly balanced and may be moved in either direction with the slightest effort.

The circuit-closer may be of the pendulum variety, as in Fig. 4, or of the rotary ballgovernor type, as in Fig. 3. In the former one of the contact-pieces 22 is carried by a stationary part and the other contact is carried by a vertical pendulum-bar 23, pivoted between its ends and having a lateral extension at its lower end carrying an adj ustable weight EZ-l, the adjustable weight being for the purpose of varying the point at which the pendulum is to respond and make the contact. In this form of circuit-closer it will be observed that the pitching of the vessel will make the contact. In the form shown in Fig. 3 the two contact-plates 25 are adapted to be automatically connected by a ball 26, which is carried by a vertical sleeve 27, this sleeve being connected to the radial arms 28 of the ordinary centrifugal ball-governor, and this governor is driven by suitable gearing connecting it to the propeller-shaft. It will be observed that the too-rapid rotation of the balls of the governor will automatically draw down the contact-ball (against the action of its spring 29) and make the contact, as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that this device is only connected up to the engine during rough weather, thereby leaving the operating-lever 7 free to be moved by hand by the engineer during calm weather. It is also detached while maneuvering, as while the device is connected up the lever 7 cannot be thrown down below the center for backing the vessel. It will be seen that while the device is connected to the operating-lever and the circuit is open and the vessel moving ahead the piston 9 will be kept by steam-pressure at the upper end of its cylinder and the valve 12 by gravity at the lower end of the valve-chest; but when the circuit is closed the core of the solenoid will raise the valve and let live steam in above the piston and force the same down, the exhaust'steam passing out through the hollow valve and its stem. \Vhen the piston is drawn down, the controlling-lever will be drawn down to the center, as shown in Fig. 2, thus causing the link to be shifted to center to shut off the steam from the cylinders of the engine. It will be thus seen that this governor device operates directly upon the main cylinder-valves to instantly shut off the live steam at the ports of the cylinders, whereby all racing of the propeller, should it be lifted out of the water by the pitching of the vessel, will be effectually prevented.

By employing a nicely-balanced valve to control the ports of the operating-cylinder it will be observed that I am enabled to use a very small battery-power and solenoid, as but a slight effort will be required to raise the valve.

\Vherever I use the term solcnoit in the description and claim I desire it understood that I consider an ordinary magnet to be an equivalent device.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- The combination with a marine engine, a reversing-link connected to the slide-valve thereof, an auxiliary cylinder and piston and means connecting the piston to the reversinglink, an auxiliary valve controlling the admission of the steam to said auxiliary cylinder, an operating-levcr and means, substantially as shown and described, for connecting it to the auxiliary valve and to the devices for shifting the link, of a supplemental cylinder 8 and its piston, this piston being dctachably connected to said operatingdever, a balanced valve controlling the admission of fluid to this cylinder, a solenoid or magnet controlling this valve, and a circuit-closer, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ARMES TOWER.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE R. Jlunmiv, R. l Bown. 

